If things had followed the original storyline, Inori, Dazuna's grandson, would have been convinced by Naruto's silver tongue and then found the courage to lead the people of the Land of Waves in rebelling against Gato's rule. However, this version of Naruto was no longer the same one from the original story—the one who longed for friendship and forgave everyone endlessly. For this Naruto, it didn't matter how Inori had acted before. Since the boy hated them, he saw no need to keep pushing for interaction. After all, they were still strangers. The fact that they stayed behind to help Dazuna build the bridge was already generous enough. As for trying hard to talk sense into Inori again? Dream on!
With Naruto's persuasive words out of the picture, Inori could only brood quietly to himself. After a few days of bottled-up frustration, he eventually came around on his own and started following Dazuna daily at the bridge construction site. Regarding this, Sakura merely gave a scoffing laugh before losing interest.
Kids like Inori are classic little rascals. Once hurt emotionally, they always act as if the entire world has disappointed them—as though the whole world owes them money. The harder you try to talk sense into them, the worse they act. Just let them cool off alone for a while, and sooner or later, they'll come around naturally.
On Gato's side, since Zabuza had gone completely silent, even someone as stupid as Gato realized something had gone wrong. Yet he didn't suspect Zabuza might have switched sides—he assumed instead that Zabuza had simply taken the advance payment and run off. Thinking about it made Gato furious enough that he couldn't eat properly for days. Though those funds were just small change for him, getting scammed like that and getting nothing in return made him furious.
After some consideration, Gato summoned his men, asked around about Dazuna's residence, and then immediately set out toward Dazuna's house accompanied by two newly hired rogue Chunin and a large group of wandering warriors. Facing an old man, his daughter, and their child, he felt confident there wouldn't be any real trouble.
In the morning, after hastily finishing breakfast, Dazuna grabbed his tools and prepared to head to the bridge construction site. However, the moment he stepped outside, he came face-to-face with Gato's menacing group advancing toward him.
"Oh no! Gato is here, and he brought over a hundred men with him!"
Panic-stricken, Dazuna rushed to inform Sakura and the others. There was absolutely no way he could handle such a massive group alone—he'd better stay behind them for protection.
"Oh? We waited so long, and finally that guy has shown up!" Sakura swallowed the food in her mouth, her expression unchanged. Based on Gato's usual behavior, there was no way he'd let them build the bridge uninterrupted. She had always expected he'd make trouble eventually—it just surprised her slightly that he couldn't hold off for even a few more days.
"Hmph, that stupid short, fat idiot!"
Zabuza inwardly offered three sticks of incense in mourning for Gato. That dead short, fat slob had treated him and Haku terribly before—acting like they had become his slaves the moment he hired them. If not for the unwritten rule in the shinobi world that ninja couldn't freely attack their employers, Zabuza would've already chopped Gato into two pieces with one slash long ago.
"You sure seem to hate the guy. Wasn't he technically your boss?" Kakashi asked while eating porridge. Since the time Sakura and the others had bound him and yanked off his mask, Kakashi no longer made a point of acting mysterious. He genuinely feared what those three troublemakers might do next—and drag him into another mess again. After all, showing his face wasn't such a big deal anyway.
"That short, tubby guy shaped like a watermelon has one hell of an ego! If it weren't because he was my employer, I would've already cut him down with one slash!"
Zabuza's tone overflowed with murderous intent and frustration. The murderous intent was naturally directed toward Gato. As for that feeling of discontent—damn it, never thought this guy who always kept his face hidden would turn out to be so good-looking! If that pretty boy kept lurking near Haku, how was Zabuza supposed to keep him from stealing her heart?
"Don't worry, he's no longer your employer now. Your dream of chopping him up can finally be realized!" Sakura said with a smile.
"Oh right, lend me your Cleaver Sword for a moment!"
"What do you need my Cleaver Sword for?" Although puzzled, Zabuza obediently handed over his Cleaver Sword anyway.
"Boom!"
"Crack!"
"My sword!"
The first sound was Sakura punching the flat side of the Cleaver Sword. The second was the blade snapping under her punch. And the final sound was Zabuza's mournful wail of despair.
Chapter 146: Gato, the Death-Seeker [Final]
"My sword…"
Zabuza clutched the broken remains of his once mighty Cleaver Sword, his face twisted with pain, almost ready to burst into tears.
"I mean, could you stop howling already? It's just a broken sword! Is it really necessary to scream so tragically?" Sakura placed the shattered half-blade into a sealing scroll, then rubbed her ringing ears. "The Cleaver Sword regenerates using iron elements in blood. Conveniently, Gato is coming over here with so many people. You don't still worry about not being able to repair the Cleaver Sword, right?"
"It's true it can regenerate, but my heart is shattered!" Zabuza caressed the remnants of his legendary blade, feeling as though his soul were bleeding. "I mean, why did you suddenly smash my sword for no reason? Poor thing… you actually broke it clean in half!"
"The Cleaver Sword was broken in half when Yagura hit it with a tailed beast ball previously. Biwa Juzo took one half of the blade to the Land of Snow, and Yagura took the other half back to Kiri. After absorbing enough blood, the blade regained its original form. But Biwa Juzo only has half a blade on his side. He's already gotten used to wielding the Cleaver Sword, so switching to another weapon won't be easy for him. I figured I'd help him forge a new Cleaver Sword—Biwa Juzo already has half a blade in hand, and now I've added another half here. Together, that's exactly enough material to reforge another full-sized Cleaver Sword."
Sakura briefly explained why she did it. Zabuza was left speechless—was such a thing even possible?
"Come to think of it," Kakashi suddenly interrupted, "Sakura, are you sure you can bring yourself to kill Gato and the others?" He had serious doubts. You girls haven't gone through much hardship yet, especially when it comes to taking lives. He really wondered whether these three hotheaded brats could actually pull the trigger on someone.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>